This series is rather a strange concoction of circumstance in as much as it was intended as a vehicle for Arthur Lowe, to follow on from the role of George Mainwairing he had played in the very successful Dad's Army. A pilot was recorded with Arthur playing Mainwairing, some years after the war, retired from Swallows Bank and just back in the country after a longish stay abroad.

He has the idea of buying the decaying Frambourne Pier (a little up the coast to the familiar Walmington) and appraches a certain Arthur Wilson, the current manager of Swallows Bank, and the Town Council in order to get the renovations underway and the money he needs to do it. The Town Council are very keen as they have been trying to find the funds to demolish the pier and having it taken off their hands would save them a lot of money.

The pilot was recorded but, alas, shelved due to the death of Arthur Lowe of the 15th of April 1982. As Arthur had liked the idea and thought it to have potential, the writers re-wrote the storyline to include another former Dad's Army character, that of Warden Hodges, to take up the role that would have been Mainwairings.

The BBC did not keep a copy of this recording, but it has been saved for posterity along with the rest of the series, but the co-writer, Harold Snoad.

After the death of Lowem the storyline was changed so that with the war finishing three years ago, Mr Arthur Wilson has finally become the manager of Swallows Bank, at the Frambourne on Sea branch. Frank Pike has also gone to Framboure with his 'uncle Arthur' and all is peaceful until an ex-warden Hodges turns up with a business proposition for Frank. After some persuasion, they are lent £5000 by Swallows Bank in order to renovate Frambourne Pier, but not withough some resistance from the pier caretaker, Guthrie, but all gets underway and the pair research the history of the pier.

Those who are astute amongst you will notice that the broadcast dates listed below do not run in sequence. The first 9 episodes were broadcast as a series, and to my knowledge, a second series was commissioned, but the death of John Le Mesurier ended the series abruptly and the shows that had already been recorded for the second series were added to the first for another broadcast.

Unfortunately, the BBC only has two episodes of this series in the archive which are:

The Bank Loan

This was originally treansmitted on the 29th november 1983 and recorded on 19 February of the same year. The plot involves Hodges and Pike borrowing the money they need to make Frambourne Pier a commercial operation.

The Friends of Frambourne Pier

This episode I have listed as being transmitted on 11th December 1983 and recorded ten months earlier on the 26th February 1983. This is the second of the two recordings still held in the BBC archives at Broadcasting House. The storyline follows the formation of the Friends of Frambourne Pier Association in order to enlist volunteer help for the renovations.

Ep	Rec.	Trans.	Title
Pilot (1)	Unknown	Not Transmitted	It Sticks Out Half A Mile
1	11-9-82	13-11-83	The Business Proposition
2	19-2-83	20-11-83	The Bank Loan
3	23-2-83	27-11-83	Who Owned the Pier?
4	23-2-83	4-12-83	Inspecting the Piles
5	19-2-83	11-12-83	Pike In Love
6	26-2-83	18-12-83?	The Friends Of Frambourne Pier
7	5-3-83	1-1-84	The First Meeting
8	8-3-83	8-1-84	Marooned
9	5-3-83	15-1-84	The Fancy Dress Night
10	26-2-83	21-8-84	The Builder
11	8-3-83	4-9-84	War Damage
12	15-3-83	18-9-84	The Pin Up Girl
13	15-3-83	2-10-84	Hidden Treasure

More to come soon....